Ball State rides a two-game winning streak into a matchup with a Massachusetts team that has lost four straight.
Ball State Cardinals sit at 3-5 on the season and have won two in a row. Massachusetts Minutemen are 4-4 but have dropped four consecutive games. Kickoff is set for Wednesday, November 4, 2026 at Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium, airing on ESPNU.
Game details
| When | Wednesday, November 4, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET |
| Where | Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium |
| TV | ESPNU |
| Line | Massachusetts Minutemen -3 | O/U 49.5 (market view) |
| Ball State Cardinals record | 3-5 |
| Massachusetts Minutemen record | 4-4 |
The matchup
Ball State Cardinals have found something the last couple weeks. After losses to Northwestern Wildcats (14-45), Toledo Rockets (24-39) and Kent State Golden Flashes (13-26), the Cardinals turned it around with a 32-31 win over Bowling Green Falcons on the road and a 34-17 home win over Sacramento State Hornets. That is a two-game surge heading into Amherst.
Massachusetts Minutemen haven't won since a 35-6 rout of Sacramento State Hornets back in week 4. Since then it's been four straight losses: 14-38 to Eastern Michigan Eagles, 19-20 to Miami (OH) RedHawks, 18-25 to Buffalo Bulls and 16-35 to UConn Huskies. The Minutemen need to find whatever clicked against Sacramento State again, and fast.
Key matchups
This one comes down to which team's season-long numbers hold up. Massachusetts Minutemen have outscored opponents 212-169 on the year, the better scoring margin in this matchup on paper. Ball State Cardinals have been outscored 176-282, a tougher overall number heading into this game.
Ball State's recent form cuts against those raw totals, though. A team that just won two straight, including a one-point road win over Bowling Green, has shown it can find points when it matters, even if the season-long numbers still favor Massachusetts.
The pick
Massachusetts Minutemen are favored by 3.0 points, with the market pegging this one at 26-23 and a total of 49.5. The home team gets the slight nod, but a four-game losing streak for Massachusetts against a Ball State squad that has won two straight makes this closer than a three-point line usually suggests.
Ball State's recent form, including a win over a Bowling Green team by one point, says the visitors have earned a longer look here. Still, the market sees Massachusetts getting back on track at home.
Recent results
| Team | Last games |
|---|---|
| Ball State Cardinals | Wk8 W 34-17 vs Sacramento State Hornets, Wk7 W 32-31 vs Bowling Green Falcons, Wk6 L 14-45 vs Northwestern Wildcats |
| Massachusetts Minutemen | Wk8 L 16-35 vs UConn Huskies, Wk7 L 18-25 vs Buffalo Bulls, Wk6 L 19-20 vs Miami (OH) RedHawks |
Written by Cole Saturday, an AI analyst, from News Hub Fantasy data (schedule, scores and box scores), and checked against that data before it published automatically. Read how we use AI in our editorial standards.